Automatic calliope



Oct. 21 1924. 1,512,666

N. G. BAKER AUTOMATI C CALIJ'IOPE Filed Jan. 26 1923 Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES NORMAN G. BAKER, 0F MUSCATINE, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC CALLIOPE.

Application filed January 26, 1923. Serial No. 615,033.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN G. BAKER, citizen of the United States, residing at Muscatine, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Calliopes; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel improvement in musical instruments particularly designed for use in so-called Calliopes, and one object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument which can be readily played manually or automatically; and whose parts can be easily assembled or repaired; and in case of derangement of any particular note operating mechanism whereby such note might be caused to sound continuously, such mechanism can be readily and quickly disconnected, without interfering with either the operation of the mechanisms controlling the other notes, or the manual operation of the instrument. I c

I will describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof, and summarize in the claims the novel features of construction and combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical end elevation of the mechanism for controlling one pipe or whistle, there being duplicates of such mechanism in the complete apparatus for eachnote in the machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 2-2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional View on the line 33 Fig. 1.

The drawings illustrate the various operative parts of the controlling mechanism and their approximate relation to each other, but the drawings are, not drawn to scale. Asshown, 1 designates the air tank or chamber of the instrument, which may be of any suitable construction, and upon the top of this chestvis mounted a pipe elbow 2 which communicates with the chest at one end, and at its other end is connected by a hose or pipe section 2* with a whistle or pipe 8.

The end of pipe elbow 2 within the chest 1 is closed by a valve 2", attached to a stem 2 'which1extends upwardly through a guide sleeve 2 fixedly secured to and within the elbow, said valve being normally held closed as hereinafter described.

The valve 2* preferably comprises a metal disk 2 having a rubber facing 2 secured thereto by a metal cap 2 underlying dis 2 but having its edges turned up around the edges of disk 2", and down over the edge of the upper face of the rubber disk 2, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The upper end of rod 2 above the elbow 2 is threaded, and a metal nut 2 is screwed thereon, as shown, and on the upper end of rod 2* above this metal nut 2 is a leather cap nut 2 which is adapted to contact with the under side of a superimposed key 3. A sprlng 2 is interposed between the upper end of the tube 2 and the nut- 2 The valve can be depressed or opened by means of keys 8, which may be pivoted on pins 14 attached to the rear of the board 14. The specific construction of the key is not material, but should be such that when a key 3 is depressed it will engage the nut-2 on the upper end of the stem 2 of the valve 2' and depress same, opening said valve. When the key 8 is released the spring 2 will immediately close said valve.

The pressure of the spring 2 is adjustable by adjusting nut 2 The pressure or ten" sion on key 3 or normal upward pressure of the key is also regulablc by adjusting nut 2, so that the pressure or resistence of the key to the fingers can be increased or lessened as desired, and the pressure required on the several keys of the key board equalized. The keys can be leveled on the key board by adjusting nuts 2.

Attached to the underside of key 3 is a I Z-plate 3 which has a perforation 3 in its free end through which passes the upper end of a rod 4, on the upper end of which rod is a nut 45. The lower end of this rod 1 is bent as at 43 (see Fig. 3) and engaged with a notch 5 on the forward end of a; lever 5 which is fulcrumed, as hereinafter described,

on the rod 4, which causes its hooked or bent end 4 to push down out of notch 5 disengaging the spring member 5, so the hooked end 4 can be slid outwardly from under the end of lever 5, disconnecting it entirely so that the related key 3 could not be operated by the bellows 6. The advantage of this is that if something happened to the automatic devices, as a leak in the suction for instance, so that this particu key would improperly remain pulled doi-cn, causing the whistle 8 to sound continuously, rod 4 could be readily disconnected ron: lever 5 until the defect is repaired. Thi disengagement of therod 4 from lever o leases the related key 3 so that the valve 2 will not be held open. 7

To the other end of lever 5 is pivotally connected one end of a rod 5 the other end of which is engaged with an opening in a plate 6 attached'to the under side or pneumatic bellows 6, which may he of the ordinary pneumatic player piano type.

The rod 5 is provided above and below the plate 6 with nuts 5 and 5 whereby the operative connection between the lever 5 and the bellows is adjusted. The lever :"3 extends through a transverse notch i a, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in the 'ipper side of the bar 7, and is pivotally mounted on a rod 7 held in a transverse groove T in the rear face of bar 7, saidbar 7 being held in place by means of plates 7 extending over the groove and secured tothc adjacent face of the bar? by screws indicated.

It should be understood that in the actual machine there is a multiple or keys depending on the number of notes with which the instrument is to be equipped, and there all is a multiple of pipe elbows and valves 2, such as described, one for each key 3, on the key board, and also a multiple levers 5 arranged side by side in slots '7 in h bar '7, and a like multiple or bellows 6 air: connections. In other words, while l hav simply illustrated one key, valve, histle, lever, bellows, and connection thereof,

c1191 will be as many sets of sum parts used in the apparatus as there are notes to be pro duced inthe complete calliope.

When this instrument plays automatically the usual automatic playing devices used, such as in a player piano, to operate the bellows 6; and when the bellows G is operated it shuts, or the bottom part moves upward which lifts the rod 5 pulling the connected end of the lever 5 upward, the other end of the lever 5 going downward, pulling the rod 4 down. The nut l engaging the plate 3 pulls the key 3 down; which in turn depresses the valve rod 2" and opens valve 2, letting the air pass through the hose 2* into the whistle 8. When playing the instrument by hand, the

plate 3 slides ireely up and down on the rod a without working any of the automatic parts, which is a valuable practical feature. It is obvious that when any key in the key board is pressed down, the related valve 2* is pressed down and opened, permitting the air to flow upwards and through the hose 2* to the whistle 8, causing it to sound. When any key on the key board is depressed bv hand it does not ope ate any of the automatic playing apparatus; but when the automatic playing devices operate the little bellows operates the lever 5, which causes rod 4% to pull the related key down, opening the: valve 2 and letting the air into the whistle 8, the same as when played by hand.

VI hat I claim is:

l. in apparatus oi the character specified, the combination of a pipe or whistle, a valve for admittirm air to the whistle, a key above the valve, a valve rod connected with said valve and extending upwardly to the key, a guide for said rod, a nut on the rod, a spring interposed between the nut and the guide to normally hold the valve closed, and regulate the required pressure on the key; and an adjustable nut on the upper end of the rod contacting with the under side oi the key.

2. ln apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a pipe or whistle, a valve for admitting air to the whistle, a key above the valve, a valve rod connected with said valve and extending upwardly to the key, a guide for said rod, a nut on the rod, a spring interposed between the nut and the uide to normally hold the valve closed and regulate the required pressure on the key; and an adjustable nut on the upper end oi? the rod and contacting with the under side of the key, for holding said key in its normal position; with a strap connected to the key, an oscilla .g lever below the key, a rod loosel passing through said strap. detachably connected to one end of said lever; an actuatin device opera tively connected with the opposite end of said lever, substantially as described.

3. In mechanism as specified in claim 2, a bar having a transverse slot, and a longitudinal groove intersecting the slot, a rod lying in said groove, means for retaining the rod in the groove, and a bar guided in said slot and fulcrumed on said rod, said bar being connected at one end to said rod and at the other end to the actuating. de-

vice.

4. ln apparatus of the character specified, the con'ibination of a pipe or whistle, an air tank, valve for admitting air from the tank to the whistle, a key above the valve, a valve rod connected with said valve, and extending upwardly to the key, a guide for said rod, a nut on the rod, a spring interposed between the nut and the guide normally holding the valve closed, and upholding the key in normal position; and an adjustable nut on the upper end of the rod contacting with the under side of the key.

5. In apparatus of the character specilied, the combination of a pipe or whistle, an air tank, a valve for admitting air from the tank to the whistle, a key above the valve, a valve rod connected with said valve, and extending upwardly to the key, a guide for said rod, a. nut on the rod, a spring interposed between the nut and the guide to normally hold the valve closed, and uphold the key in normal position; and an adjustable nut 0n the upper end of the rod contacting with the under side of the key; with a strap connected to the key having a perforation, an oscillating lever below the key, a rod loosely passing through said eye or perforation, said rod being detachably connected with one end of said lever; and a pneumatic device connected with the opposite end of said lever and adapted. to oscillate same, substantially as described.

6. In mechanism of the character specilied, the combination of a key, a lever having a notch, a rod having one end loosely engaged with the key, and its other end hooked to engage the notch in the lever, and a spring connected with the lever to retain the hooked end of the rod in the notch; the end of the spring projecting beyond the end of the lever, substantially as described.

7. In apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a pipe or whistle, a. valve for admitting air to the whistle, a key above the valve, a. valve rod connected witlt said valve and extending upwardly to the key, spring means for holding the valve closed and upholding the key in normal position, with a strap connected to the key having a perforation, an oscillating lever below the key, a rod loosely passing through! said eye or perforation, said rod being detachably connected with one end of said lever, and a pneumatic device connected with the opposite end of said lever and adapted to oscillate same, substantially as described.

8. In mechanism of the character specilied, the combination of a key, a lever having a notch, a strap connected with the key having a perforation, a rod having one end with said valve and extending upwardly to the key, spring means for holding the valve closed and upholding the key in normal position, with a. strap connected to the key having a perforation, an oscillating lever below the key, a member having one end loosely engaging said perforation, and having its other end detachably connected on one end of said lever, a bar having a transverse slot, a longitudinal groove intersecting the slot, a rod lying in said groove, means for retaining the rod in the groove, said lever being guided in said slot and fulcrumed on said rod, and a pneumatic device connected with the opposite end of said lever and adapted to oscillate same, whereby the key may be manually depressed without actuating said lever, substantially as described.

10. In mechanism as set forthin claim 2, said lever having a transverse groove, and said rod having its end hooked to engage said groove, and a spring connected with the lever to retain the hooked end of the rod in the groove; the end of the spring projecting beyond the end of the lever, substantially as described.

11. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a key, a valve operated by said key, an oscillating lever below the key, a. member connecting said key and with one end of said lever, a bar having a transverse slot, a longitudinal groove intersecting said slot, a rod lying in said groove, means for retaining the rod in the groove, said lever being guided in said slot and fulcrumed on said rod, and a pneumatic device connected with the other end of said lever and adapted to oscillate same, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature.

NORMAN G. BAKER. 

